As promised, the ladies of Mamamoo have made their comeback this season with the third installment of their ambitious Four Seasons project, Blue;s. The Four Seasons project started back in March with the release of Yellow Flower, representing spring, and in July with Red Moon, representing summer. Mamamoo has shown their growth as artists through this project by exploring different genres to express the color of each season. Blue;s is a showcase of how much their music has matured as it is a cohesive collection of songs capturing the essence of winter and continues the story Mamamoo has been writing through Yellow Flower and Red Moon.
It’s been an extremely busy year for the Mamamoo ladies. Blue;s comeback has been released on the heels of several controversies. In November Mamamoo’s fandom announced a protest against RBW, the girl group’s agency, claiming the girl group was being overworked and RBW was mismanaging the group. Member Wheein was met with another scandal involving her father involving fraud and unpaid debts. It’s not easy to make a comeback after a scandal; generally scandals call for some time out of the limelight but Mamamoo continues to charge straight ahead like a bull.
Mamamoo has responded to their fans with relatability, appreciation and reassurance. The Four Seasons project was meant to work them hard and the flower that blooms in adversity can be the most beautiful of all.
Mamamoo make a reference to Blue;s being a story in each track, which led me to analyze the mini-album as so. There are 5 keys parts to telling a story to pay attention to: introduction, action, climax, falling action and resolution.
“From Autumn to Winter”, the first track, is our introduction to this story and sets the tone for the entire mini-album. We’re greeted with just an acoustic guitar’s riff and the member’s wispy toned voices.
Wind Flower, Wind Flower, our story that’s staggered.
The wispy tones are there to mimic the ladies’ lyrics about the wind blowing indicating a sign winter has come and how the petals of their flower is falling “one by one”. The introduction is short, running only one minute and thirty-seven seconds long but it’s enough of know the incoming season is one of wistfulness and longing.
“No More Drama”, the second track, gives us the backstory as to why the ladies are now in this season of winter and as the most energetic track is our action of the story. “No More Drama” leads in with another guitar riff differentiated by the electrical guitar and a participatory snapping beat. There is great deal of energy infused in this song, the women of Mamamoo loses the wispy voices to take on familiar huskier bolder voices. The song also begins with the chorus as Mamamoo doesn’t want to waste anytime explaining their position with a verse, they are done.
Non-fiction drama, only I who change to charred.
You who is fading little by little, I get sick of seeing you.
The proclamation of being done with their lover’s drama connects us back to Red Moon, a woman tired and angry of the mistreatment stemming from her relationship. Unlike Red Moon, “No More Drama” has a lot less anger, instead Mamamoo tells their lover his time is up and walks away.
Mamamoo is now at their turning point of the story, the climax, with the main track “Wind Flower”. We’re at the highest point of the story as the season of winter has blown in and Mamamoo is struggling with their feelings of loneliness and what-ifs. Again, we’re given a lead into the song with an electric guitar riff connecting the tracks but this time quickly accompanied by the drums and the melancholy voices of Mamamoo.
A climax indicates the start of a solution. I admire Mamamoo’s strength and outlook, they are the ones that ended the relationship in knowing better but in their humanness still have feelings of helplessness.
A story about my love that’s obvious, it’s just a common goodbye.
(…)
Is it only our breakup? Is it hurting both of us?
Like a flower that will bloom again (bloom again yeah)
Get better day by day. Get better day by day.
(…)
Our overlapping, separate story.
The wind flower is not an obvious winter choice, flowers bloom in Spring but there is a symbolic meaning to this flower. The wind flower is the meaning to the Greek word “Anemone”, a delicate flower that gets opened by the wind. There are two symbolic meanings to this: anticipation in remembering opportunities will happen at the right time, and the flower symbolizes the act of a forsaken love. If we return to what was set up in “From Autumn to Winter” the coldness of winter is settling with a wind that threatens to blow their dying flower away, but the ladies are still able to recognize this will be a passing feeling and Spring will come again.
With each release of this project there has been a solo song sung by a member whose color matches the season the most. “Hello” is written, composed and sung by member and leader Solar. We’re at the falling action of the story where the snow seems to be melting away, taking with it the painful memories. We’re revealed to barren grass of once was blossoming love. Solar is apologetic for her previous actions, recognizing her own downfalls in the relationship but how she doesn’t want to return. This moment is to allow the wind to take its course and to blow away everything that has fallen.
Finally, our heroines begin to see signs of spring in our last tracks, the resolution in “Better Than I Thought” and “Morning”. “Better Than I Thought” has the same musical elements found throughout this mini-album but it’s incredible how the same elements can be used differently to express a completely different emotion. Mamamoo is surprised at their own emotions coming out of their winter season. In the moment sometimes the pain can seem unbearable but with time they are able to look back and feel at peace.
I walked alone on the road that we used to walk together, strangely I don’t miss you.
It’s better than I though, my heart’s fine.
“Morning” is the only song on this mini-album which takes a different approach musically as a ballad. “Morning” begins with a violin and a piano combination creating a dreamy-like state. Their memories are now only just a dream as the last part of letting go. Throughout this song Mamamoo is struggling with waking up knowing their dreams is all they have left and with every morning they wake up a little more disappears till they are left with no more.
I’ve always been a fan of Mamamoo and their vocals, but I am heavily impressed with their Four Seasons project. Blue;s shows artistic growth in expression of how the winter season is one of loneliness but also one of renewal. One more season to go!
(YouTube. Xport News, Star, Lyrics by Nakojjang. Images via Rainbow Bridge World.)
